Mailbox signal



Aug. 13, 1957 o. J. STETTNER MAILBOX SIGNAL.

Filed June 17, 1954 Jfizar: 4:2: OTTO J. STETTNEB United States Patent O MAILBOX SIGNAL Otto I. Stettner, Elgin, Ill. Application June 17, 1954, Serial No. 437,419

6 Claims. (Cl. 232-35) This invention relates to improvements in signal devices and more particularly to that type of signal adapted for use with a rural mail box.

In many rural areas, mail boxes situated along a highway travelledby the mail carrier are located at some distance from the houses being served. Consequently, it is very desirable to provide the boxes with signals for the observance of both the mail carrier and the party being served, The signal indicates to outgoing mail and to the party of mail.

There are many such signals now on the market. Most, if not all, of these signals, however, require the installation of numerous pivots, bolts, rivets, and operating linkages. Such installations are both difiicult and expensive to make.

One of the important objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide a simple signal device which is easily and readily installed by anyone without the need of special tools.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a unitary signal device which is easily bolted or otherwise secured in operative position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a signal device adapted for use with a mail box and which is operable by opening the door of the box.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means for holding the signal in its adjusted position.

Another and still further object is to provide means for manually operating the signal when desired. 7

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation, with a coverremoved, showing details of construction of a signal device embodying principles of this invention and with the parts in, an inoperative position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the relative position of parts when the signal device has been operated to elevate the flag;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the signal device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of an actuator bar, with portions shown in elevation, taken along the line 4--4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a reduced side view in elevation of a mail box with the signal device of this invention secured thereto andthe signal being shown in an elevated position in dotted lines and in a lowered position ready for actuation in full lines; and,

Figure 7 is front face view in elevation of the mail box and signal device shown in Figure 6. v

Referring now to the drawings, the mail-box signal device of this invention generally comprises a housing 21, a flag 22, and a flag actuator lever or bar 23.

The housing 21 is preferably of rectangularTbox-like shape open at the bottom and having a removable sidewall 24. Openings 25 and 26 in vertical end' walls of the'housing arethreaded to receivescrews or bolts27 the carrier a pickup of being served the delivery 4 showing another portion of the actuator bar as seen when taken along ice and 28 for securing the sidewall 24 to the housing. A foot portion 29 extends from one end of the housing and is provided with one or more openings 30, 30 through which bolts (not shown), extend to secure the housing to a mail box 31. Similarly, another foot portion 32 extends from the opposite end of the housing and is provided with a mail box connecting bolt hole 33.

A shaft 34 rotatably ext-ends laterally through a fixed sidewall 35 of the housing. The flag 22 has an actuating arm 36 secured at one end to the shaft 34 on the outside of the housing. The flag is so secured to the arm as to seat on the housing when in a lowered position (Figures 1 and 3). A crank 37 is secured to an end of the shaft 34 within the housing. A pin 38, secured to the crank and extending therefrom in a direction opposite the shaft 34, is so located as to be moved to positions above and below the axis of the shaft 34 when the crank is rotated for a purpose to be more fully explained later.

A pivot pin 39, having a base portion 40 extending laterally within the housing from the sidewall 35, is located adjacent an opening 41 in the forward end wall of the housing. The free end of the pivot pin is seated in an opening 39a in the removable sidewall 24. The flag actuator bar 23 is intermediately mounted for swinging movement on the pivot pin 39. A coiled spring 42 has one end secured to the crank pin 38 and its other end secured to the pivot pin 39. With the parts positioned as shown in Figure 1, the pin 38 is above a dead center line A--A drawn through the axes of shaft 34 and the pivot pin 39. Tension of the spring then maintains the flag 22 in a lowered position. With the flag elevated, or rotated approximately 90, the crank pin 38 is moved below dead center in which position (Figure 2) the parts are maintained in adjusted position by the tension of spring 42.

The actuator bar 23 is so shaped as to move the flag from lowered to elevated positions. One end of the bar (-see Figures 3 and 4) has a laterally offset portion 43 the underside surface 44 of which is curved as a bearing to seat against a portion of the coiled spring adjacent to the pin 38. The other or actuating end 45 of the bar has a downwardly extending curved cam surface 46.

With the parts positioned as shown in Figure 1, the end 45 of the actuator bar is in its lowermost position. When the actuator bar is rocked on the pivot 39 by raising the end 45, the offset end 43 exerts a downward pressure on that portion of the coiled spring adjacent to the pin 38. The pressure exerted through the pin rocks the crank 37 on its shaft 34 thereby moving the pin from one side of dead center to the other. is elevated.

As best shown in Figures 6 and 7, the signal device 20 is applied to the mail box 31 adjacent the end thereof having a swingable door 47. The signal device may be attached to the top or a sidewall of the mail box it being necessary only to so position the device as to locate the actuator bar end 45 in the path of movement of the door. When the door is opened, as shown in the dotted lines of Figure 6, an edge of the door cams along the surface 46 to rock the actuator bar and move the flag from lowered to elevated position. As the pin 38 is moved below dead center, tension of the coiled spring pulls the crank pin to its lowermost position. This position is reached when the edge 48 of the flag seats against the top of the housing 21.

In order that the end 45 of the actuator bar be held in elevated position out of the path of the return movement of the mail box door 47, a laterally extending ledge portion or bearing 49 is provided on a side of the actuator bar (see Figure 5). The ledge is positioned to engage the underside of the coiled spring 42.

Manual actuation, to lower the flag as shown in Figure l, resets the signal device for operation by opening the As the crank rotates the flag mail box door.- When the mail box door is opened to place mail therein, either by the patron or the carrier, the signal flag is automatically elevated to act as a visual reminder of the presence of mail. Upon removing the mail, the flag is lowered-merely by pushing against the flag until the crank pin 38is moved to-the opposite side ofdead center. This depresses the free endof-the actuator bar for future actuation by an opening of the mail box door.

From the foregoing description it is seen that asimple,

durable, compact, efficient, easily fabricated and quickly applied signal structure is provided having particular utility when mounted on a mail box. Once installed, the device is very easily operated and'will give no trouble for maintenance and repair.

ltwill, of course, be, understood that various details of" construction may be varied through a wide range without departingfrom the principles of this invention and is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereonotherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I. claim as my invention:

1. A signal device for a mail box or the like having a swinging door, comprisinga housing adapted to be mounted on thebox a flag pivotally mounted on said housing and movable to two'positions, a crank mounted for rotation with said flag, a pin on said crank. and so located as to be on one side of-the flag pivotal mounting when the flag is in one position andon theother side thereof when theflag is in another position, an actuator bar pivotally mounted on said housing,and spring means connecting said crank pin and the pivot of said bar, one end of. said bar engaging said spring meansadjacent said crank pin for rotating said crank and moving the pin frornone to the other of said sides of the flag pivotal mounting, the other. end of saidbar being arranged for location in the path of movement of said swinging door to rock said bar on its pivot,said spring means being arranged to exert continued tension on the crank pin wherever disposed on either side of the flag pivotal mounting.

2. A signal device foramail box or the like having a swinging door, comprising a housing adapted for mounting on the box adjacent said swinging door, a flag, a shaft mounting said flag for rotation between signalling and non-signalling positions, a crank secured to said shaft for co-movernent with said fiag, a pin on said crank and located on one side or the other of said shaftwhen the flag is in one of the positions to which it may be rotated, a pivot on said housing spaced from said shaft, spring means connecting said pin ator bar intermediately mounted on said pivot for rocking movement, one end of said bar engaging said spring meansadjacent said crank pin and the other end being arranged in the path of .movement of the swinging. door to cam thereon and rock the bar, said bar when rocked on its pivot in one direction rotating said crank pin from,

one side of the shaft to the other side thereofand moving the flag to one of its saidpositions, the spring means being arranged to exert continued tension on the pin wherever disposed.

3. A signal device for a mail box or the like having a swinging door, comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on the box adjacent the swinging door, a shaft on said housing, a signal flag secured to and arranged to be raised or lowered by rotation of said secured to said shaft, a pinch said crank and so located as to be on one side or the other of the shaft when the flagis raised and lowered, a pivot on said housing inspaced relation to said shaft, a coiled spring having one end connected to the crank pin and itsother end connected to said pivot, and an actuating lever intermediately mounted on said pivot and having bearing portions engaging the spring on opposite sides thereof to hold the lever in alignment with the spring, one bearing and pivot, and an actu-.

shaft, a crank said coiled-spring-adjacent the-crank pin-to-rockthe pin from one side to the other of the shaft, the other end of said lever having a cam surface for engagement by an edge of the swinging door of the mail box to rock the lever on its pivot.

4. A signal device for a mail box or the like having a swinging door, comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on the boxadjacent the swinging door, a shaft on said housing, a signal flag secured to and arranged to be raised or lowered by rotation of said shaft, a crank secured to said shaft, a pin on said-crank and so located as to be on one side or the other of the shaft when the flag is raised and lowered, a pivot on said housing spaced fromsaidshaft, a-coiled'spring havingone endconnected to the crank pin anditsotherend connected to said pivot, said spring being arranged to exertcontinued tension on the crank pin whether disposed onsaid one .side or the other of the shaft, ran. actuating lever intermediately: pivot, one end' of said lever havinga mounted onsaid bearing disposed-..against said coiled spring adjacent the crank'pin to rock the=pin from-one'side to the other of the shaft,- theoth'erendof said lever having'a cam-surfaceforengagement by antedge of the door of-the maildoor is swung in one direction to rock thebox when the leveronits pivot, and another bearing on said lever-engaging the-coiledzspling on the side thereof opposite-themovable door, comprising a housing adapted to be mounted-on the box adjacent the movable door, a shaft on saidhousing, a signal flag secured to and arranged to ,be raised and lowered byjrotation of said shaft, a crank secured to said shaft, a pin on said crank and-solocated' as to be on one side or. the other of the shaft when the flag, is raised end, connected to the crank pin and its other endconnected to said pivot, and an actuating lever intermediately mounted on said pivotandhaving bearing portions engaging the spring to hold the lever in alignment with the spring,;one bearingportion being located to engageasaid coiled spring adjacent the crank pin to rock thepin from one side to the other of theshaft, the other end .ofsaid leverhaying a surface for engagement by the movable door of the mail box;to rock the. lever on its pivot.

6. Asignal device for a mail box or the like. having a movable door, comprising a mounting adapted to be attached. to 9. box adjacent the movable, door, a shaft on said mounting a,signal fl ag secured to. andarranged to be raised and cranksecured. to said shaft, atpin on said crankgand' so located as to be when the flagis raised and lowered, apivot on.--said mounting'in spaced relation to said shaft, a coiled spring having one end connected to the. crank. pin and itsother enduanchored in alignment withra center line extending between the shaft and pivot, and an actuating lever intermediately mounted on said pivot and having. bearing portions engaging the springto hold the. lever in alignment with the spring, I gage said coiled e P nv romne end of said lever movable ,door of. the'mail .box to rockthe lever onits pivot. a

spring adjacent the crank pin to rock 'and'lowered, a pivot on said housing in spaced relation to said shaft, a coiled spring-having one lowered by rotation of said shaft, a-

on one side or the other of the shaftone. bearing. portion being located to enside to the other of theshaft, the otherbeing located for engagement by the 

